


don't you know let's take it slow

by nevershootamockingbird



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/M, Fake Out Make Out, First Kiss, Future Fic, Gen, Getting Together, No Spoilers, technically
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-17
Updated: 2018-05-17
Packaged: 2019-05-08 03:03:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14685123
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nevershootamockingbird/pseuds/nevershootamockingbird
Summary: Jester goes easily, reaching up to balance herself with her hands on his chest when she hits the wall, brow furrowing. Fjord shakes his head, runs his thumb along her cheek, and then leans down to press his mouth against hers.In all the damn scenarios he'd ever let himself think of, this had never been how he imagined their first kiss going.





	don't you know let's take it slow

**Author's Note:**

> This is technically canon compliant, but there are no spoilers, I promise! You don't need to be caught up on the show to read this. 
> 
> I was bored and wanted a prompt, so my twin asked me to write Fjorester first kiss. This spiraled a little out of hand. 
> 
> I really enjoyed writing this, and I hope you enjoy reading it!

At the heart of the matter, Fjord is a coward. 

Jester is beautiful, and playful, and smart; she is naive, though she's learning, and she is trusting, and she is kind, and Fjord is a coward. She flirts, hard, constantly, always, but-- but if she doesn't mean it, Fjord thinks it might just break him. 

He doesn't think he deserves her, anyway. 

Not after all the lies he's fed his friends, not after all the untruths and omitted facts he's given them, not after they've accepted him time and again after learning the reality of it. He doesn't deserve her, doesn't deserve any of them, but he's selfish and he can't bear to let them go. 

Fjord won't let them go, but he isn't gonna go asking for more, asking for trouble. He doesn't deserve this, he sure as the hells doesn't deserve more. He ain’t gonna go rocking the boat. 

He’s a coward at heart, at matters of the heart, but he isn’t a coward when it comes to matters like this. Fjord doesn't remember the name of the town they're in right now, wishes Caleb wasn't halfway across it so he could ask him. Fjord wishes, frankly, that they weren't in this damn town, but the Gentleman is cashing the fuck in on a favor, so here they are, trying to track down some asshole or another while avoiding the crownsguard as much as possible. With tensions running high and whispers of conscription travelling fast, their motley crew is more than eager to keep out of the hands of the government. 

Jester is sneaking along just ahead of him, horns and hair covered by her dark hood, and Fjord tenses, crouches lower when there's a loud crash on the other side of the alley. A matted looking tabby goes tearing out of some garbage, yowling almost like a human, and Fjord feels his stomach drop when he hears shouting and approaching footsteps. Jester turns a panicked look at him, fingers fluttering in front of her. 

"What do we do?" She hisses, eyes wide and trusting, and Fjord hates himself for the first thought that pops into his head. Jester moves closer, reaching out for one of his arms as she continues, voice hushed, "I can try a spell, but I'm trying to save my big ones. And we're not supposed to make a fuss! The Gentleman will not be happy!"

"Can't do spells here, Jess," Fjord agrees quietly, shaking his head, because they can't, they start casting or fighting and they could blow this whole damn operation. He inhales sharply, looks to the left where he can hear the footsteps getting louder, and looks back down at Jester. The idea is still there, and he swallows hard, reaching a hand up to cup her cheek. Fjord licks his lips before asking, haltingly, "Jester, you trust me?"

"Of course I do, Fjord." Her face is open, and honest, and Fjord's seen her lie before, knows this isn't one. He nods, glances left again before backing her against the alley wall, bracing his free arm next to her head. Jester goes easily, reaching up to balance herself with her hands on his chest when she hits the wall, brow furrowing. Fjord shakes his head, runs his thumb along her cheek, and then leans down to press his mouth against hers. 

In all the damn scenarios he'd ever let himself think of, this had never been how he imagined their first kiss going. 

Jester gasps, fingers curling into the material of his jacket, and Fjord shuts his eyes as he swallows the sound, slides his hand down to cup her neck, carefully keeping his weight shifted away from her. He hears the guards turn down the alley and freezes, but Jester tugs him right up against her, licking at his lower lip, tongue catching over one of his growing tusks. Fjord grunts into her mouth, startled, and he'd worry about crushing her if he didn't know just how much stronger she is than him. 

"Oy, you two!” The man sounds tired, annoyed, and Fjord makes to pull away but Jester keeps her hold tight, licking further into his mouth. Fjord shudders, fingers twitching against her neck. His hopes that the guards will just walk away are dashed when the man calls again, “That’s enough, break it up. We got a curfew here.” 

Fjord does pulls away then, eyes flying open as he tries to figure out their next step. He sure as hell hadn't planned on being confronted. Based on the glint in Jester's eyes, smile playing at the corner of her mouth, she's got an idea brewing. Fjord knows already he'll follow along. 

"Oh, I'm so sorry!" She giggles as she turns her face towards the guards, and Fjord is desperately glad for the cloudy night and hoods obscuring their faces, their skin tones. Jester pulls Fjord down as she talks, so his face is level to her neck and he takes the hint, nuzzles against it like he's had too much to drink and isn't interested in stopping. Jester's voice is bubbly, adopting some high-end accent, sugar sweet but authoritative as she continues, "We'll move on right away, I promise. Thank you so much for looking out for us." 

"Not a problem, ma'am. Have a nice night, stay safe out here." Another voice says, less annoyed, just as tired. There's a sigh, and then the sounds of footsteps heading away. They stay frozen like statues as the seconds drag on into minutes, until the only sound is their own breathing and the wind whistling down the streets. 

"Stay safe," Jester mutters sourly, accent heavy and her own again, and Fjord is sickeningly relieved to hear it. He straightens up and drops his hands from her, cracking his neck to relieve the pressure there from the awkward position. Jester slowly lets go of his jacket, pushes off of the wall to step up into his space. "Stay safe from them, we can do that. Quick thinking, Fjord!"

"I, uh, I'm real sorry about that, Jester." Fjord grimaces, looks down at his feet before meeting her surprised gaze. He runs his tongue over his tusks in a nervous tic before continuing, "It was the only thing I could think of, thanks for playing along. I'm sorry, I would've asked if I thought we'd had time."

"You don't have to apologize," Jester tells him, frowning as she talks. Fjord swallows hard and stays still, keeps his hands at his side instead of reaching out to pull her close like he wants to. 

"Jester, I shouldn't have--" He stops himself when she rolls her eyes and 

"Always a gentleman. Instead of apologizing, how about you tell me that next time we do that," she says, eyes sparking and voice hopeful, "it'll be real?"

"Yes," he says, automatic, immediate, almost desperate. "It was real for me, this time, though. Next will be, too. As many times as you want, they'll all be real for me." 

"Fjord," Jester says, curling her strong arms around his waist and beaming up at him, "are you saying you like me?"

"Yeah, Jester," he chuckles, nodding and tentatively wrapping an arm around her shoulders. "I'm saying I like you." 

"Good, because I like you, too," she tells him, smile softening before she tucks her face against his chest. Fjord just holds her tight, ducking his head down to press his own smile against the top of her hair. 

They part after another moment, because they don’t have the time right now and they know it. Fjord falls back into his position behind Jester when she turns down the alley, adjusting her hood to cover more of her hair before creeping forward. He follows as quietly as he can, glancing at the cobblestones to ensure he won’t kick something or trip-- if those guards come back, he doesn’t think they’ll be getting out of it that easy again. 

Jester pauses at the corner, and Fjord is quick to step up closer, peering over her head as he places a hand on her shoulder. The street is clear of anyone, anything, and Fjord doesn’t hesitate to nudge his companion a little. 

This peace won’t last long, he’s sure of it. He’d like to be back with the rest of their friends well before any guard might catch sight of them.

Jester slips around the corner silently, reaching back as she does, and Fjord catches her hand without thinking, stares down at his big green palm engulfing her tiny blue fingers only after he’s done it. She doesn’t give him time to hesitate, or doubt himself, though; Jester’s pulling him along immediately, tugging him like he weighs as much as Nott. They make their way quietly through the town, travelling slowly through side streets and back alleys as much as possible, creeping through shadows. 

Jester doesn’t let go of his hand the entire damn time. 

By the time they’ve made it back to the inn, around the side to see if anyone’s at the window yet, Fjord is dog tired and ready to get out of this damn city. Beau’s window is cracked, and they press against the tavern wall opposite the inn, wait until Molly passes by and sees them, wait until the window is pushed up slowly and a rope is dropped down. 

“Ladies first,” Fjord whispers, reaching out to grab the rope so the damn thing will stop swinging. Jester huffs, arching an eyebrow up at him as she smiles, tongue sticking out between her teeth. 

“Please, you just don’t want me to wait and watch your slooow climb,” she teases, squeezing the hand she’s still holding. She’s gone before Fjord can even try to protest, dropping his hand and leaping up to grab the rope, shimmying up it like it’s second nature. 

At this point, he muses, they have had a damn lot of practice. 

Fjord follows her more slowly, because she’s right-- he doesn’t have her strength and it’s been a bit of time since he was climbing rigging on ships. He hauls the rope up after himself, drops it to the floor and slides the window almost shut. The room is quieter than he thought it would be, and his stomach is already sinking by the time he turns around to check out why. 

“What happened?” Jester is asking as he approaches the bed, her tail wrapping around one of her own legs in a comforting manner. Molly is perched on the edge of the mattress, his own tail lashing like an angry cat; he’s finishing a careful row of stitches in Beau’s arm, what looks like the third set he’s done. 

“Guards aren’t the only problem around here,” he says, staring down as he ties off the thread. Beau lets her head thump back against the wall, jaw opening with a crack to let the belt fall out of her mouth. “We handled it.”

“By handled it, you mean we’re gonna have to split sooner than planned?” Fjord stops next to Jester, keeping his tone even as he voices the question. As much as he hates watching his friends be hurt, he really doesn’t want to explain to the Gentleman why they couldn’t finish this for him. 

“Nah, it’ll be fine, promise. We took care of it,” Beau reiterates, rolling her shoulders before glancing down at the stitches. “Thanks, Molly. You two get what you needed?”

“Yes! We were very successful, weren’t we Fjord?” Jester beams up at him as her posture relaxes, clasping her hands in front of herself. He sees her tail unwinding out of the corner of his eyes, watches it lazily curl and snake behind them. 

“Yeah, we saw what we needed to. Got a lot of information,” he agrees, smiling at Jester before turning it towards Beau and Molly. They both smile back, but it’s a little tight, a little shallow; he glances around the room again, and he feels a little of the satisfaction slip as he asks, “They’re not back yet, are they?”

“No,” Beau says quietly, looking down at her bruised knuckles. Molly sighs and shoves at her thigh until she moves over with a huff, making room enough for him to sit next to her. Fjord thinks they’re leaning into each other more than they’re leaning against the headboard.

“They’ll be alright, though. Haven’t had any emergency messages from Caleb or Nott,” Molly points out, only a little uncertain, and Fjord latches onto that, nods immediately.

“I’m sure they’re fine. We didn’t hear anything, either,” he says, indicating between himself and Jester. “And Yasha doesn’t have to talk to anyone this time around, so I’m sure everything’s going great.”

It’s a weak joke at best, but it still gets a giggle out of Jester, Molly groaning as Beau grins and shakes her head. Fjord lets himself smile, ducks his head a little and tries not to be too pleased with himself. Worry still gnaws at his ribs, sharp-toothed and persistent, but he knows that won’t ease until the other three are back and safe with them. 

“You two can go to the other room if you’d like, try to get a little sleep,” Molly offers, reaching for the side table to grab his deck. His tail is curling over Beau’s shin as he continues, “No telling when they’ll be back. We’ll come wake you as soon as they get in, share everything and start the plan then.”

“No way! We will stay here and wait with you, of course!” Jester insists, shaking her head and frowning at Molly’s suggestion. She looks up at Fjord as she continues, “Won’t we, Fjord?”

“Yeah, Jess, we will.” Jester turns her triumphant grin on their friends, and Fjord takes the opportunity to study her profile briefly. When he looks back towards the bed he sees Beau smirking at whatever expression he’s got on his face, and he damns his background as he feels his face go darker green. Beau’s face softens, then, smile turning more genuine before she breaks his gaze, looking over at Molly as she murmurs something under her breath. Fjord’s attention is caught by a small hand tugging at his sleeve; Jester’s smiling up at him again when he glances down, her dimples showing in both cheeks. 

“Come sit with me?” She asks, and he’s been pretty damn bad at saying no to her since they met, so he follows her over to the other bed. He only pauses to unlace his boots before clambering on next to her, feeling a little awkward in his armor but entirely unwilling to remove it until they’re well and truly ready to settle in for the night. Jester leans into him, letting out a pleased sound when he shifts to wrap an arm around her shoulders; he relaxes when she scoots closer, resting her sketchbook on her thighs. “You okay?”

“Yeah, I’m comfortable,” Fjord tells her, curling his fingers loosely around her upper arm. Jester lifts her head to beam up at him. 

“Good, because I don’t want to move and I don’t want you to, either,” she tells him bluntly, and Fjord smiles at her words, shaking his head before squeezing her gently. 

“Promise, I’m not going anywhere, Jester.” He means it, right now, right here in this moment. It’s the truth, right now. That is hopefully enough. He ducks his head down to kiss her cheek, squeezing her again, and Jester sighs happily, turning her head to catch his mouth in a soft kiss. 

They’re both smiling when they part a moment later, and Fjord is content to press another chaste kiss to her mouth before straightening up. He leans back against the headboard as Jester turns her attention down towards her sketchbook, muttering under her breath to the Traveler as she flips through to a blank page. 

In a little while, Beau will get Nott’s message to lower the rope, and Fjord will be happy to do it. Nott will scamper up, then Caleb, Yasha, and the four of Nein already in the room will let loose a collective sigh of relief. They will all share their information, slot the pieces together, and create a haphazard plan with 80% chance of not going the way it should, as they always do. In a little while, they will all fall asleep in the one room, because it’s comforting, sometimes, to forget that they have more and just share the same space. 

Right now, though, Fjord is content to listen as Molly gives Beau increasingly stupid readings, content to hold Jester as she draws a rather interesting interpretation of the two guards from the alley, content to glance at the window like it’ll bring the rest of their friends back faster.

Fjord’s a coward, at the heart of the matter. But maybe that heart isn’t what matters right now. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! Again, I really hope you liked this even a fraction as much as I enjoyed writing it. 
> 
> Ahhh, Fjord, you shady mother fucker. I love him, but I don't trust him. He and Jester have such fucking good potential to be a cute couple, though, so here's what I thought might be a viable set-up for that! Plus, I'm a slut for a good fake out make out scenario. 
> 
> Title is a line from "Overtime" by Seafret, because I had no idea what to put and then my twin threw that my way and it stuck immediately. Apologies if any of this seems out of character, I am setting it in the future a bit so rather imagine relationships might change a bit along the way and this is how they might. Also, I'm not fully caught up on the show, just caught up with everyone's tweets, posts, etc.
> 
> Again, I appreciate you taking the time to read! You can find me over on [tumblr](https://nevershootamockingbird.tumblr.com) and [twitter](https://twitter.com/daleytwin1) if you feel like yelling with me about these lovely characters :)


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